This invention relates to a flange assembly with means for retaining the assembly with a mounting element. This invention particularly relates to a flange assembly which slides onto and is retained with a conduit of a faucet to prevent water from leaking through conduit passages formed in an associated wall.
Wall flanges are typically used to cover the openings or passages in a wall through which water conduits of a shower are located. Such flanges then prevent water from leaking from the shower side of the wall, through the passages and to the other side of the wall, all of which could cause deterioration of the integrity of the wall and corrosion of other adjacent facilities.
To facilitate easy installation, some wall flanges are adjustable to compensate for variations in the wall. Also, some popular designs use setscrews to fasten the flange on the faucet, which may also be referred to as a conduit, after the flange has been adjusted to the wall. Still other designs are used which allow for the threading of the flange against the wall until fully secured.
Recent designs have used friction between the flange and the faucet to obtain the wall adjustment. In one example of the friction design, a sheet metal flange is formed toward the inside center of the flange with finger-like surfaces that contact and frictionally cling to the faucet body. A variation of this design incorporates a rubber "O" ring between the flange and the faucet to develop the required friction. Both of the friction designs require pressure created by the contacting surfaces of the flange and the faucet to secure the flange in place.
The disadvantages encountered with the foregoing examples are numerous and varied. For example, when setscrews are used to secure the flange, surfaces of the faucet are damaged and defaced by scratches made by the setscrews. Also, flanges scratch the faucets when the hard surfaces thereof come into contact during assembly. In a bathroom facility, the surfaces of a faucet which are typically exposed to view are treated for aesthetic purposes and normally will be finished with a decorative coating. Consequently, any visible scratches to the treated surfaces of the faucets will detract from the intended pleasing appearance thereof.
In addition to the above-noted damaging effects, the appearance of a faucet may also be degraded when setscrews or other fastening devices or features used in securing the flange are exposed to view. This includes holes or protrusions that are required for assembly.
While the use of sealing putty around the wall openings might seem appropriate, the majority of the currently available flanges do not provide surfaces to facilitate the application of putty. Apparently, the use of putty violates the intended purpose of the flange to insulate and shield the openings of the wall from the water on the shower side.
Further, adjustable flanges that include "O" rings to obtain the adjustment are normally expensive and difficult to manufacture. This is particularly so because most flanges of this type are composed of solid brass and are formed with an internal groove to fit the "O" ring.
Thus, there is a need for a flange which will overcome the above noted deficiencies while optimizing the function of the flange, reducing manufacturing costs, improving the flange quality and, above all, providing a more reliable adjustment method.